On arriving at Auckland from Christchurch, we venture Auckland city with the remaining limited time we are here.

We walk the street and walk through alley.

Has some ice cream along the pier side while watching commuters heading back from work.

We miss Crab shack, which we enjoyed in Wellington, so we decided on having our dinner In Crab Shack in Auckland. The verdict is that Crab Shack in Wellington win over Auckland.

The next day we drove 3 hours from Auckland to MataMata. We are here to visit Hobbiton! It was a long drive, however, it was all worth the ride.

The set is situated on a family run farm. In order to visit the set you need to join a guided tour.

The original set was not built to last, the hobbit hole facades having been constructed from untreated timber, ply and polystyrene and partially torn down after filming. In 2010, the set was rebuilt in a more permanent fashion for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

There are 44 hobbit holes on view although it is only possible to enter a few of them, all of which have small, unfinished, earth-walled interiors.

The hobbit holes on site have been designed and built to one of three different scales. In addition to the smallest ones built to the correct size (hobbits are smaller than humans), some are built to a larger scale to make the hobbit actors appear smaller, and some have been constructed in a “dwarf” scale for scenes containing dwarves. Apart from a few exceptions, the colour of the front door indicates the scale, for example hobbit holes with a blue door are built to the correct scale for humans.

The set details were amazing. Every artifacts and works on the set have been designed and painted in accordance to the narrative of the Hobbit.

Even the see-saw at the party tree is functional and the kids could actually have fun under the tree.

Jaydon riding into “Green Dragon” inn. “Green Dragon” inn is a functional pub where they serve drinks. Everyone has a complimentary drink which is part of the tour.

As we bid goodbye to New Zealand, the surrounding set of Hobbiton has imprint a unforgettable memory of an island that is full of lovely scenery and friendly people. Till we meet again, thank you!

After the tour, we made our way back to Auckland. Along the way, we stop by Hamilton town and had our lunch. We did light shopping in the mall and played a game of mini golf.

We stayed in Holiday Inn which is near to the airport.

The next morning, with the sufficient rest, we had a comfortable journey back to Singapore on Qantas flight.

Jaydon’s first meal when we reached back to Singapore. A plate of wanton noodle.